How Do We Make Ocean Exploration More Accessible?

Heidi Cullen (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
Carlie Wiener (Schmidt Ocean Institute)
George I. Matsumoto (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
Charles M. Kaaiai (Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, retired)
Susan von Thun (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
Jyotika Virmani (Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Diva Amon (SpeSeas)
Chloe Brown (Break Free From Plastic)
Corey Garza (California State University, Monterey Bay)
The ocean is the largest living space on our planet, but it remains mysterious and largely unexplored. It is only recently that advances in marine technology have brought the deep ocean within reach of humans. As such, it is often referred to as one of the last remaining "frontiers" on Earth. The language and structure surrounding ocean exploration remains rooted in historically colonial mindsets and institutional barriers. These barriers prevent communicators from genuinely engaging with the communities they serve and reaching a broad and diverse audience. This session will review these structural challenges, explore emerging issues around ocean exploitation, and spark new ideas and approaches for reimagining a more inclusive and accessible ocean science community. The session brings together a wide spectrum of communicators to discuss best practices at a time when the ocean faces a number of urgent threats, including climate change, pollution, overfishing, and the recent push for seabed mining. The kickoff of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development marks a critical moment to reflect on ocean exploration, research, and stewardship. Now is the time to identify new pathways to diversify the ocean sciences in order to create a more accessible and inclusive field and broaden engagement with the public.

[@cgee3057]

I really enjoyed watching this video, please make more! Wow, you need to research P-R-O-M-O-S-M.